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History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast

History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast

By: JLE
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Summary

History for the Curious


The most talked-about Jewish History Podcast


History for the Curious features the dynamic historian and famous tour guide & lecturer: Rabbi Aubrey Hersh, live from Olami UK in London, hosted by myself: Mena Reisner

Join us as we cross continents, sail through the centuries, tracing lives, uncovering events and following epic journeys, to reveal the untold stories, the scandals, and the mysteries, that have impacted our history and shaped us into who we are today.

Encounter leaders, visionaries, spies, heroes & traitors and unpack 2,000 years of Jewish heritage.
Go back to the story of Jews in the Temple of Jerusalem. Confront the dilemmas of the Holocaust. Visit Paris, Prague, Vilna, London, Venice, New York & the Cairo Geniza. Meet The Russian Czar, Ramchal, Maharal, Maimonides, Churchill, Shabbetai Zvi and the Hapsburgs.

Copyright 2021 All rights reserved. Judaism Spirituality World
Episodes
  • #192: Reform vs Orthodoxy: The Battle of 19th Century Europe

    #192: Reform vs Orthodoxy: The Battle of 19th Century Europe
    May 13 2026
    With the advent of Napoleon and emancipation, Jews were given an offer they found hard to refuse and the Reform movement made significant inroads. Across many countries a war was waged for the soul of the Jew and many voluntarily even converted to Christianity. Shuls, marriage, Shabbos and Bris Mila were all subjected to question. How did the Chasam Sofer Rav Samson Refoel Hirsch and others deal with the critical issues that faced them? Why was Orthodoxy driven to the defensive? And what lesson can we take from it nowadays?

    Timestamps:

    - 0:00 — Introduction & dedication

    - 0:36 — Podcast intro; Mendelssohn recap

    - 1:36 — Reform emergence; 17th–18th c. precursors (Sabbatai Zevi, Spinoza)

    - 4:07 — Napoleon’s emancipation & identity shift

    - 6:24 — Conversions & assimilation (Heinrich Heine example)

    - 10:25 — Reform tactics: Bible over Talmud; “prophetic Judaism”

    - 18:59 — Jacobson/Westphalia reforms (state control of rabbis, synagogue changes)

    - 24:53 — Berlin vs. Hamburg differences; home services vs. public temples

    - 29:41 — Abraham Geiger’s ideology; opposition to circumcision noted

    - 34:49 — Philippson/Magdeburg — services, Sunday shift

    - 36:49 — Rabbinical conferences (1844–46) & intermarriage stance

    - 41:27 — Orthodox responses: Safer Berneis, Rav Ettlinger, haram strategy

    - 48:47 — Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Neo‑Orthodoxy response

    - 57:13 — Modern implications: erosion of minhagim; academia vs. masorah

    - 59:05 — Closing takeaway: small changes can lead to large identity shifts
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    1 hr
  • #191: Moses Mendelssohn - Father of Reform?

    #191: Moses Mendelssohn - Father of Reform?
    Apr 28 2026
    Moses Mendelssohn was raised in an orthodox family, attended yeshiva for a decade of his life and was involved in Kehilla life for many years afterwards. But he is remembered for his translation of Chumash, defined as a philosopher and linked to the beginning of the German Reform movement. What did he do to create a storm of controversy? And how did the Chasam Sofer relate to his writings?

    Timestamps:

    - 0:00:00 — Opening

    - 0:02:42 — Introduction to Moses Mendelssohn; early life and background

    - 0:07:03 — Education, secular learning, and early writings

    - 0:11:32 — Rise to public prominence and influence with non-Jewish intellectuals

    - 0:14:46 — Controversies: public challenges (Lavater) and the Halonas Hamas (burial) debate

    - 0:19:18 — Mendelssohn’s German Chumash translation/commentary and rabbinic opposition

    - 0:23:09 — Political engagement and Enlightenment connections; push for improved Jewish status (context of Joseph II’s reforms)

    - 0:31:03 — Arguments in Jerusalem: rationalist defense of Judaism, limits of communal coercion, and state jurisdiction over public law

    - 0:33:16 — Impact on Jewish education: introduction of secular subjects, changing communal autonomy, and long-term consequences

    - 0:39:09 — Mixed legacy: civil rights and assimilation pressures leading toward Reform; personal practice vs. societal outcomes

    - 0:47:07 — Hasidic/rabbinic responses and the disputed reference to Mendelssohn in the Hassam Sefar’s will; closing reflections
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    50 mins
  • Hesped: Mrs Fernande Hersh a''h (1930 - 2026)

    Hesped: Mrs Fernande Hersh a''h (1930 - 2026)
    Apr 21 2026
    Born in 1930, she lived through many challenging events. Raised a family and was a regal figure. Yehi zichroh boruch
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    21 mins
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